Legal battle escalates between Dolly Parton’s estate, singer’s nephew

The restraining order request was filed by She’s Alive, a corporation responsible for handling Parton’s businesses. It is run by her longtime manager, Danny Nozell, according to The New York Times. Seaver had been Parton’s head of security and announced the singer’s death in a video message posted on social media.

Seaver, the son of Parton’s sister, Cassie Parton, was the singer’s head of security for more than 20 years before he was terminated in September, according to People. He took over the security role from his father, Larry Seaver, the magazine reported.

A process server attempted several times to hand Seaver the lawsuit notice that accuses him of a “campaign of threats” to “extract money” from Parton’s business empire, according to Rolling Stone.

At issue is Parton’s entertainment empire, which includes the Dollywood amusement park in Sevier County, Tennessee, her SongTeller hotel in Nashville and Life of Many Colors museum that opened on Sept. 29.

WKRN reported there was a “No Media” sign along Seaver’s driveway, two “no trespassing” signs, and what appeared to be barbed wire wrapped in caution tape blocking the stairs leading up to the front door.

Lawyers for Parton’s estate filed a photo of the alleged barricade as they asked a judge to deny Seaver’s request for additional time to find an attorney, Rolling Stone reported.

They also argued that Seaver’s security company missed a deadline last week to challenge an emergency restraining order granted in the case, so the order should therefore be converted into a permanent injunction covering both the company and Seaver himself, as its chief.

A hearing is scheduled for Friday, unless the court grants Seaver’s request.

“Mr. Seaver attempted to evade service of process, and this court should not reward that behavior,” the estate’s lawyers wrote in their response filed Monday and obtained by Rolling Stone.

On one attempt, the process server observed four cars in the driveway, but no one answered at the front door, the new filing said.

Seaver’s dispute with Parton’s longtime manager and the sole manager of She’s Alive LLC, first spilled into public view when Nozell sued him last month and sought the restraining order.

Nozell accused Seaver of interfering with business relationships through “threats, intimidation, and coercion.” In granting the temporary restraining order ahead of the larger hearing, the judge cited a series of emails and other communications that she said appeared to pair “threats with demands for payment.”

In several messages quoted in the ruling, Seaver allegedly threatened Nozell and other people connected to Parton’s estate.

“I’m going to destroy the entire brand if you don’t get these (Dollywood business partners) out of our bit,” Seaver allegedly wrote on Aug. 19, about a week before Parton’s death.

After Parton died, Seaver purportedly wrote in another message: “I just sold 29 million dollars’ worth of ammo to Haiti. I’m not exactly a media person, Danny. I’m literally an international arms dealer and mercenary.”

In an earlier statement to TMZ, Seaver said his messages to Nozell had been taken out of context, Rolling Stone reported.

“I am a career soldier and military contractor and do conduct arms deals for foreign governments,” he told the celebrity gossip news website. “However, nothing in this lawsuit were threats, and most of the comments I stand by.”